Reviews (page 6 of 15)
I don't like Talikg Heads. Period. Nothing against who does ;)
More Talking Heads......
01) Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - 8,0 02) Crosseyed and Painless - 8,0 03) The Great Curve - 8,0 04) Once in a Lifetime - 10,0 05) Houses in Motion - 8,0 06) Seen and Not Seen - 7,5 07) Listening Wind - 8,5 08) The Overload - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,25 (83/100) Current ranking: 177/747
I can see the artistry behind this project and understand why it has received the acclaim that it has, but I was not in the mood to really hear something like this today. I'm sitting more on a 3.5 for this one, but I'm not in the mood to bump it up to 4.
Once in a Lifetime is good, but prophetic.
Not really my fit. I mean, there were some good songs in the album, but overall I wasn't feeling it. Just felt like I needed to push through to get it over with.
#193/1001. Wtf happened to the site ui? Not good. The weird thing about the Talking Heads is, that the first time you listen to one of their albums, you notice the hit song(s) and the rest remain more or less unnoticed. The more you listen to the album though, the more the other songs pop out, and the hit song - well, still is a hit song. I have owned this album for a long, long time, but still now that I listened to it for this project, it felt like I had never listened to it before, and it is full of excellency. Then I’m also sure I will forget these songs again. Perhaps it is like a suit that changes size slowly - although my experience is that clothes shrink instead of grow over time. I wonder if that will happen to the other Talking Heads albums in this list…songs grow and shrink in their greatness…
Good grooves as always , some songs too repetitive with abrasive noises like b52 style
3 Stars (8/15)
Weird funky little album.
Klassiske låter
Is there any band that sounds more neurotic than Talking Heads? Some music is drug music, others are beer songs, but this reminds me of caffeine music. Hyper and nervous. I find Once in a Lifetime stands out not just for being a hit, but being structured like a pop song. The rest of the songs have a formula: start with nervy groove, add opaque lyrics, then dissonant guitar solo. I like it but it does sound samey after a while.
First full, front-to-back listen of a Talking Heads album, and immediately dug the sonic style and approach. My limited familiarity with Talking Heads was of them as a rock band but the blend of electronic (thanks, Brian Eno) and unique international sounds I couldn't immediately identify (a quick trip to Wikipedia revealed influence from African polyrhythms and specifically from Fela Kuti - all tracks in retrospect) kept me constantly engaged and intrigued. I didn't sit with the lyrics open as I listened, but I vaguely followed the somewhat stream-of-conscious vocals of David Byrne - reading through a few songs would be worthwhile at some point.
You can really hear the Fela Kuti influences with the staccato guitar riffs, and looping percussion. Its enjoyable! But makes want to listen to more Fela instead. Even the vocals on the very first track feel like the typical call and response fond in Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian jazz. Maybe I'm biased. This isn't to say someone from a cominant culture can never be inspired. Byrne and Eno were very loud and public about wher thir influnces came from, and gave credit where it was due. I guess I'm moreso reacting to how the grater public recives music like this. It typcally never leads to deeper investigation of the source or the continent, and stays a footnote in someone elses journey. I did like the way the influences were transformed, Its groovy, well produced, very bright. It works. It shouldn't be downplayed the difficulty in hearing something you like, and being able to mimic it without outright copying. I enjoyed it, there's just a feeling in the back of my mind.....
Like the coolest mixtape you ever owned.
Spectacular. One of my favourites.
A brilliant blend of Fela Kuti afro-pop, Brian Eno production (and songwriting credit), great backing players like Adrian Belew, and David Byrne at his Byrniest...there's nothing like Remain in Light. In four years to go from Talking Heads 77 to this album is mind boggling. Eno had a lot to do with it but the four members matured in songwriting and created songs from jamming together that formed the basis for these songs. I discovered this album later as I first came to love them with Speaking in Tongues and Stop Making Sense. Remain in Light is the album that led to their breakthrough. Listening again, the standouts for me are "The Great Curve," " Houses in Motion," and "Listening Wind." Not enough superlatives in the world for this album.
One of those albums i could just listen to forever. Unlike a lot of Talking Heads albums, I struggle to remember/mix up some of the names of songs on this album, and i think thats down to how fantastic the continuity is. The songs blend together in the best way, listening is like being in a flow state, with the hypnotic grooves and odd guitar tones. My favorites are probably Born Under Punches and the very underrated, spooky, Listening Wind, but almost everything is essential. Ive never been too crazy about The Overload but even that one starts to grow on you after awhile
I'm floored by how much better this is than the other Talking Heads records I've heard. Talking Heads 77, Fear Of Music, and More Songs About Buildings And Food all got nothing on this. And sure, most of these 5 stars come from Once in a Lifetime, but the rest of the album packs a real punch too (nudge, nudge). Especially with headphones. I love the interacting guitar lines in Born Under Punches. They're so fast, peppy, slick. And dirty at the same time. I appreciate that Byrne isn't trying too hard to pass off his singing as competent, instead adopting a sort of ad-lib expressive talking, as well as using vocal harmonies in some places. Towards the end of the song, the band really keys in on overlapping vocals in the second half. (Dang. This is a great piece of music.) Am I right to think this counts as world-inspired music? Some of the unusual vocal tendencies, and the light, varied percussion, remind me of Fela Kuti's Zombie record. But I enjoy this significantly more. Crosseyed and Painless makes it clear that the band's committing to that twangy, distorted bass sound that was a staple of the disco and post-disco genre. It sounds fantastic though. That repeating line "Stilllll waiting", combined with all the other overlapping elements... there's so much to focus on. The highlight of The Great Curve is the instrumental in the middle, which combines the ubiquitous rapid guitar riff with some solid horn hits (sounding suspiciously like those orchestra hits you can get on keyboards, but I'm sure they're legitimate here) and a very odd guitar solo. The backing vocals – especially "So say so, so say so" – again do wonders here. No idea what's going on in Once in a Lifetime. I assume those are keyboards... and Byrne yelling about my beautiful wife... and some odd percussion and bass. The chorus is very recognisable. Combined with that wacky, ethereal keyboard part, the chorus really lifts the song above the rest of the album. It's so, so good. Goddamn. Houses in Motion is the "bacteria music" of the album, but I still enjoy it. Seen and Not Seen flashes by quickly, and seems to be mostly a glitzy keyboard jam session alongside Byrne calmly talking about facial structure. Listening Wind has a fun chorus melody, and an echoey, sort of arcade-esque synth line that complements it well. Before listening to The Overload, I was apprehensive because it has so few streams on Spotify compared to the other tracks. But it's just as strong as most of the other tracks. Dark, slow, psychedelic, and I enjoy the low drone that stops the track from sounding too desolate. 5/5 Key tracks: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime
Mixed view on this. Most of the album is catchy but dull. Obviously the well known standout track is what sold this album in numbers...
I really like them but this isn’t my fave album…
Didn’t enjoy it.
vad i fanvete det svänger ju!
Entrancing work! If David Byrne would be a teenager now, he would be a total memelord. A whole album is a little too much for me though
Some really cool arrangements on this album, blending synth and traditional rock instruments. These guys are great at playing music and production, but the vocal style began to wear thin on me as the tracks went along. I’d definitely be interested to hear if their sound evolves at all on later albums. 3/5
A side is absolute banger, B side brings it down to a 4*. There's so much going on with this album and it's all good.
Such a huge step up on the last record we got in the challenge (the Buildings and Food one). The production is so dense and rich, the band is so much funkier and has picked up good influences - love the Fela Kuti-esque rhythms here. David Byrne's vocals, lyrics and delivery mesh so much better into the sound of the band. Definitely a fan of this one
Not for me. The songs do grow on you after awhile: they need a minute to get into the groove. Best tracks IMO are Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve.
𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 thrives on its dense, interlocking polyrhythms. The album layers guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion in repeating patterns that continuously shift, overlap and evolve, creating a hypnotic sense of motion. Instead of traditional verse–chorus structures, the music builds gradually, adding new rhythmic and textural elements until each track becomes almost trance-like. What makes it compelling is how the grooves feel both mechanical and organic — tight enough to sound engineered, yet fluid enough to feel alive. The influence of West African rhythmic concepts is clear, but they’re reinterpreted through a distinctly art-rock perspective, resulting in music that’s experimental without losing its sense of momentum and drive. It’s an album that stays engaging because the further you listen into a track, the more there is happening. The complexity never overwhelms; it pulls the listener deeper. A rare case where intellectual and physical energy work perfectly together.
Very good
Thought this was great - if a little anonymous in places
Better than expected, just not a fan. Liked how the second half was a little moodier
Not my thing, really, but still a fun album.
You may ask yourself, “What other band sounded like this in 1980?” For a band that was already expanding their sound on each new album, Talking Heads’ fourth studio album was still a huge leap forward. They added many new layers here, both philosophically, lyrically, and musically. While I most enjoy the sheer energy and punchiness of other albums, this is a great achievement. Favorite songs: The Great Curve because it’s such a great groove; and Listening Wind, because it’s such a great story. Song Credits Where Credits Due: Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth write in their autobiography that the band nearly broke up over David Byrne’s waywardness / solo projects, but they coaxed him back into the studio by the jams that laid the foundation of this album. Don’t undervalue the rhythm section here!
This is an experience album. And while "Once in a Lifetime" is an incredible song and standout hit, most of this album is just worth the experience. There are groves, jams, and sometimes unintelligible lyrics, but the brilliance of the band is that it just works. I am not sure how much I remember of the album, I just know that when you listen, it all comes together thematically, sonically, tonally, etc. "You may find yourself listening to another talking heads album, and you may ask yourself..."
Near perfect.
Masterpiece!!!
Such a unique sound its difficult to categorise but not one skippable track on here.
Great album, although after listening (or attempting to listen) to several Talking Heads albums, I think they're more of a greatest hits band for me. Born Under Punches was pretty great Once in a Lifetown obvs 10/10 Houses in Motion was decent Listening Wind was my favourite discovery
Anxiety
Spet mam fajn streak - med pando sem velik preposlušala Speaking In Tongues, ne pa ta album! Fajn funky začetek z "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)". "Crosseyed and Painless" mi je bil zmer všeč. Kombinacija tega hitrega ritma s počasnim, zategnjenim petjem mi je ful zanimiva. Prou noro je kako hitr je percussion, tud v naslednjem komadu ("The Great Curve"). Po pa sam en boljših komadov to exist, "Once in a Lifetime". Fak, ker dobr bass line. Morm rewatchat Stop Making Sense. Ta polovica albuma ja mal bl chill. Začetek zadnjega komada ("The Overload" je kr epski. Zanimiv je kako je album iz brutalno hitrih ritmov na koncu pristal v najbl mirnem, mal temačnem vzdušju.
David Byrne joy and Brian Eno weird.
(100/100)
Love me some talking heads
Ok maybe my brother is onto something.
Talking Heads are one of those bands whose music I did not know well beyond their hits. I've found that in some of these cases, the rest of the band's catalog tends to be different in an interesting and sometimes better way. This is not one of those times... I found this album grating and almost too experimental for its own good.
listened to the whole album, one or two famous songs, all in all - 3/5
A weird one for sure. Glad I listened, unlikely that I listen again.
Talking Heads at the height of their prime. Coupled with the legendary Brian Eno producing for them, this album is a juggernaut of New Wave and 80s music. The first 5 songs are such a fantastic experience, not to downplay the dark and mysterious sonic intrigue of the last 3 songs. Once in a Lifetime is legendary amongst their catalogue and has come back time and again into the pop zeitgeist in one way or another. The energy of Crosseyed and Painless is fantastic, I especially can't recommend the Stop Making Sense version enough (honestly, go listen to Stop Making Sense, too. Absolutely phenomenal). My personal favorite here is The Great Curve. Frantic, energetic rhythms overlaid with layers of vocals and guitar and synth work that really raises the whole experience. Around the 4 minute mark to the end when the whole thing becomes a wall of multiple different backing vocal lines on top of the instruments followed by the outro guitar solo is so good.
Always a pleasure
Superb, but not perfect. Close. 4.5/5
it was an interesting vibe
Couple memorable songs but overall a slow listen. Houses In Motion had good funk until the whimpering horns ruined it.
Pretty good. A little long and repetitive. Not as into the unfinished tracks at the end.
some pretty good grooves but a lot of the songs are frantic and make me anxious
One of the tightest albums ever. Polyrhythms! The mood shifts with each song, perfectly laid out.
quite fun album that i would listen to again. fun sounds coming from this group.
For an album listed as a top 100 of all time, i'm not sure. Yes, some fantastic grooves and interesting tracks, but as a whole it would be down on my list. I'll listen again and maybe I can find that collective album spark.
I feel like I can imagine most of these songs as physical textures. The talking heads synthetically gave me synesthesia 😍. Anyways I liked this album a lot it’s super interesting to listen to. I like other talking heads albums a little more probably, but this is still pretty sick. Fav songs: once in a lifetime, the overload
Brian Eno, David Bryne and their amazing friends
stone cold classic
Enjoyable enough, but I'd be fine not hearing this again. Somehow many of the songs seem to start very strong but fade each minute.
The percussion was solid, kept this from falling to 2-star territory
Meh
Great Album. Talking HEads is always a great listen.
I love Talking Heads. This is not my favorite album of theirs, but I think my blinding love for them distorts my objectivity.
masterpeça
Some innovative beats for the time that are repeated throughout the album
My father in law is a massive Talking Heads fan. He’s fortunate enough to have met Brian Eno, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth thanks to working in the music industry. He used to play Once in a Lifetime to my eldest when he used to look after him. At that time, I was fond of Talking Heads and the songs I knew but it wasn’t until the re-release of Stop Making Sense a few years ago that I started becoming more interested. Seeing the advert, seeing the clips, seeing the energy on stage, literally running around and then of course, the unusual David Byrne dancing, and that suit! I couldn’t help but laugh but at the same time I was mesmerised. At the time, the original was included in Prime Video so decided to watch it, I got to know the songs and then it started to become an obsession. The live arrangements of their music in this show, for me, still surpass much of what is on their studio albums, but there was far more treasure to be found on the studio albums, and to a certain extent, I’m still getting to know all of their 8 studio albums. Remain in Light is widely regarded as their magnum opus and the more I have listened, the more I’m inclined to agree. They close Stop Making Sense with one of my favourites here, Crosseyed and Painless, which just gets better and better with each listen and is proving rather prescient with lyrics about facts and the twisting of the truth. The Afro beat and rhythmic arrangements of the first half of this album in particular, are wonderful. The Great Curve is an absolute gem, and as for Once in a Lifetime, it’s a song that I found to be far better than I ever realised, and I always liked it. The second half of the album is much more spacious and downbeat, with the closer, The Overload, seemingly an ode to Joy Division.
Feeling generous, high 3
The Talking Heads have some great moments, but they delve too much into prolonged jammy-weirdness for me to really get into them. Solid ...
I don't have much to say about this beyond that it made me realize how unfamiliar I am with the Talking Heads discography. Turns out I've listened to My Life In the Bush of Ghosts a lot more than any TH album, except maybe Stop Making Sense. Anyway, I like it well enough.
I’m a big fan of the record, even if the party kind of stops after the first half. I like the contemplative and atmospheric second half, even though it doesn’t have a Crosseyed and Painless or Once in a Lifetime. When I think of this album, I now think of this Onion article which, ummm, hit home. I have this album on vinyl and I’m pretty sure I’ve made my daughter listen to it. https://theonion.com/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-her-en-1819572981/
Except for once in a lifetime, I find this boring. Many of the songs have a cool sound or groove, but then repeat it monotonously for way too long.
4/5 - The front half of this album is really outstanding. Crosseyed and Painless is one of my favorites. Adrian Belew’s guitar work is really really good. Overall, I just love the soundscape the band explores here and how many bands this influenced in the early 2000s indie scene that I really appreciate.
Son los de psycho killer!¡ no lo sabía he escuchado muuuuu poco pero lo que he escuchado me ha gustado mucho, les doy un 6,5 sinceramente pero podría haber aumentado si hubiera esuchado más
I enjoyed this way more than my last talking heads album. Grovey, energetic and I could actually tell the songs apart!
Sometimes with this project I ask myself, "Well, how did I get here?" But then sometimes I get a great album by a band I've never really paid attention to, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Saved by the back half, would have been a 2. I like it when they get atmospheric
reminds me a bit of Dace Matthews Band but maybe not? I feel like I know Talking Heads songs but don’t know which. This has definitely been an influence for other bands.
Quite funky which I'd forgotten about it. Another outstanding Talking Heads release. Favorite track: Crosseyed and Painless
Cool, zaney, funky, progressive and yet not all that cohesive. Maybe that was the intent to be so far forward pushing that it loses melodic value and compositional skills. But, not all that bad. Fela's riff was super melodic and Once in a life time from this album. But the rest felt like non specific nu wave jam filler. And thats okay, I know im critical but some gen xers really built their lives around it.
Once in a lifetime
Absolutely essential.
Knew of this band for Once in a Lifetime and a couple other hits, but can’t say I cared for this album much more than that. It was interesting to read about the Fela Kuti influence as I reviewed an album of his just recently, but as for this one I don’t plan to revisit again.
This album captures the frantic energy of sitting in a basement looking at dirt under a microscope wondering if the heavy winds will send a tree through your window.
Yeah, 4 for Once in a lifetime. It’s not my groove but they were influential at the time.
++*: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime ++: Crosseyed and Painless, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, Listening Wind, The Overload 9,9/10
I love this album, each song sounds like a totally unique musical journey! I know Once In A Lifetime is the big hit song, but The Great Curve is definitely my favorite. The intricacies and complexity of how the different parts of the band blend together is truly one of a kind.
I like this and when someone asks me what kind of music I like sometimes I say, goth, punk, funk, psych and world music. I think of this as world music. Listening Wind Is my jam. I think of it like world music. I wonder sometimes if Eno wasn’t on the albums that he was would they have gone a different direction. Who really cares. Talking Heads really has something for everyone.
"Once in a Lifetime", "Cross-eyed and Painless", and "Houses in motion" are some tops. Fun Talking Heads.
It’s not my jam.
Este projeto é super competente -- sobretudo na sua musicalidade -- e é compreensível que seja lembrado como um dos melhores da sua época.
Just like the other Talking Heads albums on this list, I find this a borderline excruciating listen. It just pushes all the wrong buttons. Once in a Lifetime is not that bad though, especially in the context of the rest of the album, so 2 stars.
Didn't finish. Kind of boring, but I can imagine this being super cool while coked out in the early 80's.
I enjoyed some of the new sounds they experimented with but overall I thought the album was just so-so.
One of the ebst front sides of an album ever, second half was slower than I remember so maybe not a best ever contender as I might have previously had it. Still undeniable
perfect album
Cerramos definitivamente octubre con mi disco favorito de Talking Heads, el cual he escuchado incontables veces y al que cada cierto tiempo vuelvo y le encuentro algo nuevo, distinto en su propuesta sonora y artística. Me lleva a momentos felices pero siento que el disco no se agota ni tampoco mis sentimientos para con él y las ganas de bailar y de meterme en mí que me dan. Creo que estoy en mi época post-punk/gótica/new wave y que esta época durará mucho tiempo más. Sin más que agregar que la alegría que me da éste disco, me despido hasta el lunes, ya con noviembre entre nosotros, gente. Buen finde.
This was not too bad.
I didn’t hate but didn’t love it
I officially love the talking heads thanks to this album journey.
I generally don't like this type of music and the project is definitely oversaturated with the like. Alas, this album was cool. Which proves my point about music. Every genre can be cool, you just need to hear the right band play it.
I have seen every pretentious music bitch in the world post this album art at some point so I assume it's like a big deal or something Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On): sploinky. I can't think of a single direct comparison for what this sounds like, really really interesting. not sure if I like it but it's worming its way into my brain the longer it goes on *Crosseyed and Painless: this one rips. dropped 45 years ago and still sounds fresh. I can hear the fingerprints of this in like every modern day British post-punk song I've ever heard *The Great Curve: they are grooving the fuck out for real. really digging how a lot of these songs aren't immediate for me, they don't start clicking until I let it ride for a bit. songs like that tend to have more longevity for me. they are still grooving the fuck out Once In A Lifetime: oh my god this is the "this is not my beautiful wife" song. and the "same as it ever was" song. single-handedly feeding the tumblr ecosystem. it's just okay though *Houses in Motion: love how restrained is is. it feels like a song you would have the instinct to go Big with but they kept it dialed back the whole way through. super funky, bassline is bananas *Seen and Not Seen: such a dope soundscape Listening Wind: I've never heard anything that sounds quite like this. I was hooked at the start but it didn't go anywhere *The Overload: glooooooomy. again doesn't go much of anywhere but it has such a cool atmosphere I didn't mind just hangin with that for six minutes cool cool stuff. it seems like an album that I'd need to run back a few times to really know how I feel about it, but I get why people hype it. this came out in 1980 and it still sounds innovative and boundary-pushing to me in 2025, that's crazy impressive. there's a couple songs on here that I think are gonna get a lot of play from me __ SCORE: 8/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, The Overload
I've listened to "Remain in Light" multiple tines and thought it was just ok -- despite it's reputation on the internet music space. But sitting down to really focus on the music and lyrics did reveal its brilliance: mystical, groovy, and funny.
Once In a Lifetime is the big radio hit.
Pretty boring, didn’t get much out of this one. 2.25/5
A good album, not personally my taste
This is surprisingly great. Even more so when you realize it was released in 1980.The first several songs I was thinking this was definitely something that I could put on rotation, but I think it slows a bit at the end. It ultimately doesn't attain the upper reaches of a 5 star rating, but it's very good, very influential, and it is one of the increasingly rare albums that I can completely understand why it was chosen for this project.
Just spooky enough for Halloween week.
Highlight songs: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless The Great Curve Once In a Lifetime Houses in Motion Seen and Not Seen Listening Wind The Overload
They've got a couple of recognisable classics, but I found the rest kinda un-memorable.
Such an amazing album. Keeping the same basic rhythm on the songs and then doing weird stuff over it. Not a very technical explanation but that’s how these songs work! A masterpiece.
Some songs were nice, some others not, thats it for today
I suppose this album is nice. Some songs are good. However, others are bland. I have a mixed opinion on this one. I felt interesting some parts, but I don't like how the album has been developed sometimes. It's not bad, though, but it's not something that I would highlight either.
Liked this more than I expected to "frog rock"
Love it but again not the album I was expecting in the list.
This album has always been the ALBUM people should listen to. truly an outstanding album.
This album is a bit of a tale of two sides. I found the second side to be interesting at points and dull at others, but the first side - WOW. The first four songs paint an incredible picture of disorientation and disconnection in the modern world, sort of a thematic precursor to OK Computer. More than anything though, the rhythm section, and especially the percussion, create a driving energy to these songs that I absolutely loved. The second half of the album was a detour from the energy that was established in the first half, and for that reason, this isn't a perfect album for me. But I really can't get enough of the first side, hence the 5 star rating.
I bet another 5. Yep. Great album.
Once in a Lifetime is such an all time classic it overshadows everything else on the album. On first listen not much else jumped out at me and I found the 80's bass twang and David Byrnes vocals annoying. On repeat listens it did grow on me - but I did not love it - other than Once in a Lifetime.
Really enjoyed this. Talking Heads have produced some excellent songs (This Must Be the Place, Road to Nowhere as two absolute classics) but hadn't listened to this album before. Was half expecting something very arty and pretentious. Instead we get a great accessible, rhythmical, funky album. Worthy inclusion.
Great album, forgot how wonderful the first song is. Some of the other tracks drag, especially the last one, but this is a strong 4 or weak 5. My parents didn’t have this on CD (at least as I recall) so this one has always been less familiar to me.
Funky, weird, fun. Once In A Lifetime is a masterpiece. Man I love this band.
Not bad
The USA goes for another Great Band. There’s some great stuff. And Byrne is a hero to most but he doesn’t mean shit to me. Rude motherfucker who tries to hide behind undiagnosed autism. You get cold unemotional music saved by a terrific band - Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Chris Franz. Like the UKs Attractions far more deserving of a better songwriter and leader. None the less this is essential listening.
Lost my shape. This record hits, it rolls, it pulls you in and then chucks back out, no rope required. What do we love in rock and roll? Something going wrong. Here the foursome are finally hitting each other over what they are and what they think they are. And on top of that Eno's in the room. Always knows when to turn up, at exactly the wrong time, to shake things up does Brian. And it worked. Jerry owns this record, his guitar work is a key feature here, he's got Andy Gill in there with Carlos Alomar. Chris and Tina hit their groove and David is completely off his face. It's so good. This was a HSC record for me, exam prep soundtrack. And I forever associate it with Jim Beam bourbon as I was busy staring at the spinning night sky at one of my end of year parties while Cross Eyed and Painless did its thing. I'm still waiting, fuck yeah!
I remember exactly when and where I first heard Remain In Light. I was on a year 9 Australian history excursion to Elizabeth Farm (of which I remember very little) in 1985. Afterwards some school mates and I were walking back to Granville Station to catch the train home, and Michael J. gave me his Walkman and said “here, listen to this” and hit play on side one of Remain In Light. I was shocked. Stop Making Sense had been a big release the previous year, so I knew who Talking Heads were, but _this_ was a revelation. I had never heard anything like it before; I had certainly not been exposed to Afrobeat before. The interlocking polyrhythms and layered sounds just fit into a niche in my brain like very little has before or since. I didn’t have much money to buy albums, but I found a copy in the bargain bin of the Ashfield K-Mart, and I bought it and played it a million times. I still find this whole album fresh and funky and surprising, and it still fits the grooves in my brain perfectly. I can’t even begin to think about how many times I have played this record, and I still find it perfect. Clearly strongly influenced by Fela Kuti (who I didn’t discover until decades later), I think this manages to sit on the right side of the “inspired by/”appropriated from” boundary. It brings something new and different that is respectful of African music and musicians without simply copying and cashing in. It is also interesting to see what Talking Heads could achieve when Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were leading the direction in a more collaborative fashion (instead of David Byrne’s more controlling mode, aided and abetted by Brian Eno). I understand why they were pissed when Byrne claimed credit for the songwriting – their fingerprints are all over this record. How do you measure your favourite album ever? The record that moves you most, the record that changed your life, the one that you could happily play every day without getting sick of it? Well, Remain in Light ticks all those boxes for me. While some records might come in and out of favour, Remain In Light has been a Top Five All-Time record for me on any day of the past forty years. (I also enjoy Angelique Kidjo’s more recent cover of the entire album for fresh perspective on the material.) Fifty bazillion stars.
Fängt relativ langweilig an, macht aber ab der Mitte richtig Laune. Das schön im Cabrio hören und dabei Capri Eis lutschen.
Die repetitiven Elemente nutzen sich mit der Zeit etwas ab, aber „Once In A Lifetime“ bleibt ein absoluter Banger und ist das Highlight des Albums.
Absoluter Klassiker. Kenne nichts Vergleichbares zu dieser weirden Funkyness. Das letzte Drittel ist für mich immer etwas abgefallen, aber hat mich jetzt auch endgültig abgeholt (nur "Seen and Not Seen" verstehe ich weiterhin nicht ganz). Auch großartige Texte.
Ist viel dahin geplätschert. Grundsätzlich groovy, aber kam insgesamt irgendwie nicht bei mir an.
Mochte ich. Guter Sound.
Abwechslungsreiches Album, das einfach nur Spaß macht.
Habe erschreckend viele Songs schon gekannt, das war mir so gar nicht bewusst. Wird auf Albumlänge etwas repetitiv
3.5 stars
Could probably become a 5 star with more listens.
Interesting, rather than wonderful. A real change compared to so many albums, and Once In A Lifetime is an undeniable classic. A few other tracks have interesting ideas and melodies, but they don't stick in the memory or inspire as much as the others. Still, you can see how mindblowing it would have been at the time. A very low 4 / high 3
The Talking Heads are legends. This album, and their entire discography, will keep influencing music for decades to come. Brilliant, innovative, experimental, inspired and genre-defying.
It’s fine. I get why it’s important but they have much better albums.
7/10 Favorite: The Great Curve
This music has the X factor. I was interested in hearing the next track, but I don't think I'd have it on repeat. 3.8.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
High song quality throughout.
I feel like I need to listen to this even more, but this is a cool album. There's something alluring about it! I'm kinda addicted to the chorus of Houses in Motion. No trouble at all
FUCK YES. This shit is what it's all about - boppable, funky, and weird all in equal measure, to glorious effect. David Byrne my autistic king.
Same as it ever was
Wonderfully weird. The rhythms here kind of blew my mind?? They have a way of digging into your ear with one groove and leave you headbopping, wanting more after 6 minutes. The back half is more spacey and meditative, a big departure from the rest of the album to be sure but I appreciate the variety in moods. It's the front half that carries this straight to 5 though, the energy is just so gooooooood!! Shoutout to Tina Weymouth, I had to look her up because these basslines are absolutely bangin. Standouts: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) • Crosseyed and Painless • The Great Curve • Listening Wind
I feel really weird about this album because I definitely like and appreciate it, but I have never in my entire life said "I'm going to sit down and listen to Talking Heads." Not sure why. I appreciate it from a distance but it has no staying power in my life. I think theyre missing something small and I don't know what it is.
7.5/10
Really liked this album especially house in motion
Solid 4. Very funky and groovy. Felt like you’re stuck in a rhythmic whirlwind while someone recounts their dreams to you. Interesting to get this right after their debut - I think I like ‘77 a bit more?
Duh
The back half of this falls off a bit for me and I really think that some of these songs are better on Stop Making Sense. That being said, the inclusion of Once In A Lifetime alone makes this album one of the best
Great album
Perfect weirdo but still insanely accessible rock album. See the live "Stop Making Sense" film for a crazy experience of many songs from this album and just the band generally. Appreciate the weird recording process and left field instrument choices/crazy rhythms. Perfect
Classic 80’s rock
Overall a great album from a great era. Groovy music although some of the songs I found to be rather monotonous and repetitive. Born under Punches and Once in a Lifetime are highlights.
Love it. Byrne has such a unique style it’s hard to miss. First time sitting down with this record.
I vacillate between annoying & genius when I listen to the Talking Heads. What is going on inside David Byrne’s head? Can music be both repetitive and surprising? That’s my reaction listening to this one. Some gems for sure. The beats mixed the droning unmistakable Byrne vocals. The music sure is interesting. Some moments I’m tempted to hit skip, some moments are mesmerizing, and sometimes I’m just bobbing my head and wanting to dance around in an oversized suit. Mixed reaction summarizes my view of this record, but it’s an impressive work of musical art one way or the other.
Once in a Lifetime is an exceptional track, one that stays with you for hours after listening. That song along gave this album an extra star. Sadly, the rest of the album did not reach close to those heights and I've listened to enough Femi Kuti to be really impressed by what I heard.
Beim kochen. Verschroben, aber cool
It’s such a good album. And that one song is probably one of my favs. But second half of album is a bit unforgettable
Talking Heads’ polyrhythm era. Once In a Lifetime is one of their many masterpieces. This is an amazing album but not my favorite of theirs! It’s like listening to the sound of unraveling (in a good way)
What hasn't been said about remain in light already, it's a perfect masterpiece
Brothers! Sisters! Siblings of all persuasions! Listen! You may find yourself having to talk about Talking Heads' 'Remain In Light'! You may find yourself listening to the album and grooving the hell along with it! You may find yourself staring at a blank document, tryna figure out the words to summarize what is no doubt their greatest album! And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" For me, that's an easy question: I didn't realize I didn't hafta join this 1001 Albums group to see what albums they were getting. I could have spared myself having to write some 300k+ words current-total of album reviews if I'd just thought of that. But, no, seriously, let's ask this question in a different way. How did I get to calling 'Remain In Light' the band's greatest album? It can't just be parroting the consensus like I'd done prior to taking part in this project. There has something else — where **is** that beautiful reason? And to me, it's a simple matter of asking myself, "Well, how did **they** get here? The band, I mean." If all you know from Talking Heads is "Once In A Lifetime", their first two albums would probably sound pretty strange to you. I mean their funk is just so . . . **stiff**. And **white**. Y'know, they were art geeks back then. 'Talking Heads: 77' and its follow-up, 'More Songs About Buildings & Food', are pretty firmly rooted in the artsy post-punk and burgeoning weird-o new wave sounds of the time. "Psycho Killer" is recognizably **them**, but you'd never guess the grooves they'd be capable of in the future. Even with how they loosened up slightly on 'More Songs'. That's where 'Fear Of Music' enters the picture. It's where the band would gain the biggest thing they were missing to that point: dance influence. Seriously, 'Fear Of Music' is where I'd say I go from just liking the band to truly being a fan of them. Like, sure, sure, let's not pretend they're making hard-hitting dance grooves here; they're still artsy geeks making weirdo white funk. But a song like "Life During Wartime" — oh, it's amazing. As I said back in my review of the album, they can claim that it ain't no party, and that it ain't no disco, but it sure **feels** like it. And where does that highway go? Well, straight to 'Remain In Light'. With the added polyrhythms and African influence, 'Remain In Light' feels like the culmination of their sound. **This** is Talking Heads as you know and love them. And not just because it has the hit single! Like, gawd, the first side of this album is absolute pandemonium, but it's **so fun**. David Byrnes's stream-of-consciousness lyrics probably mean something, but if I can be frank, I don't really care. I'm too busy shimming in my seat and having a blast to look into them. If you wanna, be my guest, but for at least these first three songs, it doesn't really matter. The grooves are just so strong . . . like, my Gawd, what have they done? And yet, despite my proclamation that this is the band's greatest album, I don't think I'd say it's my favorite. Yeah, it's another one of those "I prefer 'Off The Wall' to 'Thriller' because of its signifiance" dealies. I have a lot of fun with 'Remain In Light', of course. It's crazy, polyrhythmic dance funk. How can I not enjoy myself? But it's not like the entire album's that. After "Once In A Lifetime", the mood on side two begins to slide lower and lower on each song. By the time you get to the closer, it honestly feels a little doom-y. Maybe I'm missing something in the lyrics, but for an album called 'Remain In Light', it sure kind of feels like it ends out of the light. You can't even dance to it! Not with my **attitude**, anyway. It's where I think 'Fear Of Music' emerges as my favorite Talking Heads album. It's just far more consistently dance-y. And maybe that's a shallow reason to prefer this album over 'Remain In Light', but the dance-y-ness **is** what I've come to be a fan of the band for. I mean, goodness, if we're gonna allow live albums into the conversation, 'Stop Making Sense' runs the hell away as both as their greatest **and** my favorite. It's such a shot of energy that nothing they did in the studio could even compare to — not 'Fear Of Music' or 'Remain In Light', and certainly not their earlier works. And I guess, to me anyway, 'Fear Of Music' just comes the closest to what I enjoy so much about that album. But we're splitting hairs here, really. 'Remain In Light' is still very much worth your time, and then some. I wanna stress again how much of a rush the first side and "Once In A Lifetime" are. And I bemoan the other songs slowing things down, but I'm not gonna pretend they're not great as well. Jus', y'know, my dang taste gets in the way sometimes. It's still Byrnes and company doin' what they do best, and doin' the best they'd ever do it. So what if I prefer one to another? It's water at the bottom of the ocean, and I'm letting the days go by. Jus' . . . damn, it's a good fuckin' album, in short. And all the amens to that.
What else do I have to say that hasn't been said already? IT'S FREAKING REMAIN IN LIGHT. Solid 5 Stars.
Well, that’s obviously a 5. Arguably a 10. That’s from 1980? Fucking hell. That felt way ahead of schedule. Electronica-infused polyrhythms with a clear African inspiration (apparently from Fela Kuti, which makes a lot of sense – no pun intended), but full of little intricacies in the production work that makes Brian Eno sound like a time-traveling mad genius. Seriously, “Seen And Not Seen” immediately felt like a hip-hop beat from 1992 with that intro, and “Listening Wind” felt like a trip-hop track. Every single soundscape here, including the more ambient Joy Division-inspired “The Overload, is basically perfect. For 1980, this is one of the most impressive production jobs I can remember, and given that it holds up as fresh *45* years later, they were clearly way, way, way ahead of pace. David Byrne has never David Byrne’d it up more than he does here – his vocal style feels more eccentric than ever, but with a much more natural, controlled rhythm that feels like he’s fully come into his own after the steady improvements on both “More Songs About Buildings And Food” & “Fear Of Music”. It’s impossible to not notice him here, and while this album was apparently designed to prove Talking Heads was more than just a “vehicle for David Byrne”, I think it failed spectacularly in that case, solely on account of the brilliant madness that is “Once in a Lifetime”. It’s utter nonsense, sounding like a pastor going through a slow mental breakdown, behind one of the catchiest beats of the 1980s, and David Byrne sells it brilliantly. It’s also fair to say the band has never “Talking Heads”’d it up more than they do here either – yes, Brian Eno’s production work does a lot for this album, but do you hear the band on this thing? This is groovy as hell, even in its most avantgarde moments. The percussion, in particular, is a highlight, but there are some killer fucking basslines on some of these tracks, hidden deep underneath a full charcuterie board of instrumental layering that had to be complex as hell for 1980. I’m deeply, deeply impressed. This is worthy of the acclaim & more; I’m not sure if I can definitively say it’s better than “Fear of Music” to my ears, just because I was really into the consistent theming of that album, as opposed to more of a loose, rhythmically driven theme here, but it’s just as good & certainly as enjoyable. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve had listening to a Talking Heads album, that’s for sure; it’s undeniably catchy as hell, and even a track like “The Great Curve” overcomes some deeper sense of repetition by just being effortlessly easy to move around to. It’s an album where the music speaks for itself, and I think I may find myself behind the wheel of an automobile grooving my head around to every track here in the near future. It’s an easy, easy 5. As far as Talking Heads goes then, I think it’s a hell of a job by the randomizer to make sure we got this one last out of the 4 Talking Heads albums on the list. I gave ‘77 a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, which is a mistake I need to rectify with a re-listen, since it was the 38th album we had gotten and my ears weren’t ready for it. Everything else got a 5, so I suppose that adds up to an 18.5/20, or about a 4.62 on average. Either way, I’m very glad I’ve finally listened to these guys – they deserve their place in musical history, for sure.
6/10
It's OK. Starts off pretty well, Once in a a lifetime is a banger but looses steam towards the end.
Not my vibe apparently
One of the greatest tunes of the 80s surrounded by more fantastic music. Wide variety of sounds and rhythms, a band full of excellent and eclectic musicians.
Once in a Lifetime was amazing. The whole album is strong. Nice change of pace from the filler we’ve been getting.
Produceret af Brian Eno. Ikke mega kritisk populært til at starte med, men fik senere stor ros for at være banebrydende, skævt og nytænkende. Der er meget fokus på loops og sådan gentagelser som lyder meget fedt. Det minder mig lidt om moderne elektronisk musik på en eller anden måde. det er inspireret af afrikansk polyrtme. Det var lidt anset for at være underground og en del af intellektuelle kredse hvor de forbandt avantgarde og dance. Som en del af new wave scenen eksperimenterede man med nye lyde, loops og ikke vestlige musiktraditioner. Postpunk/New-wave Afrobeat/funk fusion og art rock/eksperimentel pop. SYnes det er super danceable og sjovt at lytte til fede lyde osv. virkelig godt album det bedste jeg har hørt af talking heads indtil videre. Hørte endda et andet som en af mine første. Det brød jeg mig ikke vanvittig meget om som jeg husker det, men ens smag udvikler sig vel også. Tror det var langt mere rocket, men ved ikke om det giver mening, for det var også brian eno som producerede det.
I don't get it.
How did this get here?
Still don't get them. Some flashes of fun but never convinces
True weirdo stuff. Not usually stuff I seek out, but I'll almost never ask you to turn it off.
I don't get it.
I don't like this one. I don't completely hate it so I'll give it 2 stars.
The ending always bothered me, but everything leading up to it is amazing.
so fucking good man
FUNKY!
LETS GOOOOOOOOOO one of my all time favorites. I absolutely adore Talking heads and their entire discography. My favroite track from here is The Great curve and Listening wind!
Very, very, quite good
Remain listening.
Really thought I’d like this album, love Once in A Lifetime. Album was meh, some songs just sounded the same
Nice Eno production. Solid and tighter than earlier albums. He's starting to take off and be a serious band at this stage
Love Talking Heads. This album has one of my all time favorite songs on it, Once In A Lifetime. As a whole not a bad album.
This is the Talking Heads at their best. Some really fun and upbeat songs. With that being said I find their style very repetitive and uninteresting. 3/5
A top ten of all time, of course it belongs here
PEAK
O álbum no geral é legal, mas confesso que achei cansativo em algumas passagens. Celest Phoenixcall.
I like their first album the most by a lot Will I listen to again: 75%
Good stuff. Good vibes.
feigned evangelical preaching and buzzing polyrhythms, the album feels like a manic search for meaning. beginning with the frantic and fractured declarations of identity in ‘born under punches’, and ending with the slow churn of ‘the overload’, it both lyrically and sonically takes you on a journey across this urgent spiritual/philosophical search, only to conclude in a sort of existential exhaustion. delicious! 4.5/5
day 7: my god i love david byrne (king)! this album is in my top 10, i have nothing bad to say about this one. when i want to wake up and have a good day, i put this on. from the first note (AH!) this exudes creativity and autism, following into what i believe is the greatest 4-track run in music, rivaled only by the open 4 of mezzanine. the band genuinely went ‘random bullshit go’ on instruments and vocal melodies. these songs follow such a fast pace and rhythm, giving no room to breathe until the album is already half over. i love it so much. the next couple songs stay pleasantly enjoyable, before the last couple turn a cheek. brian eno’s influence couldn’t be clearer here, as if this is a 4th installment to bowie’s berlin trilogy, these last songs take a more ambient, droning approach, with darker, brooding sounds, being even somewhat sinister. such a bizarre musical segue between the two halves, but the songs themselves are still all amazing and serve their purpose. there’s a good reason i dressed up as david byrne for halloween last year.
There's some good stuff here but the second half is super boring and the spoken word parts do nothing for me. Really well done instrumentals though, hard not to tap your foot along to the first half
Eh, not particularly my thing but I get why people like it.
More experimental than most Talking Heads that I remember. Good album
Shouldn't they be Singing Heads? ★★★★
This is a great one.
Once in a Lifetime is a great tune and the rest didn't really hit for me, but I'd listen again.
I had hoped I'd like this album more, but I only really fell for the hits.
Funkier than some of their output. Lyrics and vocals suggest anxiety, frustrations and paranoia. Some tracks somehow manage to be both frantic and overlong. Aside from the banger that is Once in a Lifetime (which was the same as it ever was), I enjoyed Houses in Motion and the more commercial Listening Wind, whereas Crosseyed and Painless was a bit claustrophobic.
Couldn't really get into other songs other than the OIAL
Not really into this one even though it is oft-considered their masterpiece. I just find the afro/world/polyrhythmic influenceds too muted under Eno's 80s production, particularly on the last few songs, to the point of impotence. Freed from Eno:s shackles, I think they would hit their peak on the following Speaking In Tongues - funkier, bouncier, more danceable even. Once In A Lifetime is amazing though, one of the songs of the decade.
Where have taking heads been all my life? Second cracking album from this list I’ve discovered.
Brian Eno I love you. 5/5
Great album, love the vocals
Vibey.
Nearly flawless. Energy flags a bit in the latter 1/3rd, but otherwise no notes.
Great album
Gear: Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 4 Artwork: 🫣🔴🔲 Production (2005 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🔥🚀🌐 Ratinng: 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️/5
Perfection! Fav: Born under punches (The heat goes on)
One of the first Albums I bought as a 14 year old was Little Creatures which I quite love. I have also seen David Byrne live. In this context I am quite underwhelmed overall by Talking Heads and don’t actually like David Byrnes voice. So there!
Talking Heads can be a lot of fun, they can also feel pretty repetitive. I feel I should love this album more than I do, but 7/10
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected.
Tossed up between two and three, but eventually landed here. Only song that grabbed me was Once in a Lifetime, apart from that it just felt like background guitar for an hour.
Some interesting stuff but a lot of funk-disco jams. Kind of liked it but it didn't grab me.
Been waiting for this one for a long time! What a way to start my week. I actually "discovered" this album through my favorite band Phish, who on some Halloweens would do a "musical Costume" for their second set of the show. in 1994 they did the white album. in 1996 they did Remain in Light. Some of the songs have remained in their rotation since, especially Crosseyed and Painless. Anyway, this is a 5/5 and David Byrne is a big-suit-wearing genius.
Grooooovy. Hypnotic. Weird. Very danceable. I did not know yet that Brian Eno produced this: does he only produce bangers of albums?
It was ok I’d give it a low 3
It's... It's Remain in Light. There are no surprising hot takes here, this album just rules.
What can I say about one of the best albums made? It's very good.
Fantastic. What Mike said - Byrne is a wonderful unique musical/artistic creature and this record is such a fun ride and the same time that I discovered them with once in a lifetime
David Byrne is a one of a kind talent. Incredible rhythms and creativity. There is nobody else who sounds like this. I’m glad I listened to this but don’t see myself revisiting. Great for music appreciation. The last few songs are atmospheric and drag. Prefer much more the first half.
A fun ride with unique signature sounds. I’m a big fan of Once In a Lifetime. It really is the same as it ever was…
Sonic sublimity. Same as it ever was.
Sehr dichter, grooviger Sound!
talking heads magnum opus and certainly some FUNKY SHIT this is one of those albums you listen to start to finish then start it again and before you know it you've had it on repeat all day The Great Curve & Once In A Lifetime are my favourite tracks. but fuck me this album is beyond perfect unironic thank you to Colin Larkin and the creator of this site for introducing me to talking heads I have enjoyed every single album and been obsessed with them since
THROUGH THE POWERS OF COCAINE AND AUTISM COMBINED I MAKE WEIRD AS FUCK MUSIC THAT IS WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME
When people are curious or shocked by my high scores for throbbing gristle or early Sonic Youth, or Suicide or no new York any of the other experiments,besides personally enjoying them, its because without them you wouldnt get albums like this. The techniques of experimental albums are taken and elevated here to an icon of music. This album was my and many others babies first steps into broader music besides what I heard on forza horizon when I was 14. And it would exist without DOA the third and final report. Its no coincidence that it came out two years before this. The use of tape sampling on both albums is inextricably linked and the concept of creating such a Masterpiece of an album out so sampling your own instrumental loops blew my teenage mind. Ofcourse this album is a Masterpiece and ofcourse its better than the experiments, its listenable, danceable music. Is any of this true idk, I think I remember reading something some time. But sometimes I just be saying shit. 10/10
When Talking Heads began, bassist Tina Weymouth describe it as 'Thinking Man's Dance Music'. I really couldn't think of a better way to describe this album, even if it is a bit wanky. Blending together multiple genres, especially afrobeat, this album is a wonderful partnership between Talking Heads and producer Brian Eno. It has their most recognisable single, most famously covered by Kermit the Frog, Once in a Lifetime. The two sides of this album are remarkably different but are united by their eclectic musical nature. Side A is defined by longer tracks with funky instrumentals and chanting lyrics. Side B is more introspective and there is no real overlap between these songs, they all do their own thing and do it really well. I cannot remember the last time I listened to an album with so much variety and quality. I came into this thinking that Once in a Lifetime would be my favourite track but I was absolutely blown away by Listening Wind. No skips, no notes, this album is pretty much flawless. I think I could confidently recommend this to absolutely anyone. Highlights: Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime, Listening Wind, The Overload
Good
Supergroovy and fun album. Actually very close to 5 stars to me - it just misses the click for me. But fun, innovative and fresh album!
2025-10-07: Listening to the funky first tracks I feel atrophied, unable to heed the music's call to loosen up. Most of the album I felt trapped between its potential to loosen me up into a 5 experience and the 3 feelings I have after the wear out of the ups and downs of today. The soothing power of the chill last track was welcome.
Great stuff.
I've already listened to this album, and I already think it is an incredible punk record, with some of the most out there and futuristic soundscapes, even for its time. There was nobody doing what these guys did, even 45 years after the fact, few projects have managed to innovate on a genre as much as this one. And, it has some killer riffs and melodies to boot. Overall, I can't go lower than a 10/10.
Same as it ever was - great
Calm and Crazy
Super fun, even if not my favorite Talking Heads album. Some cool experimental stuff.
Highlight Song/s: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime Wow, wow, wow. This is my probably favourite of the bunch by Talking Heads on this list. Having had listened to 3/4 albums now (1. Fear of Music, 2. More Songs, 3. Remain in Light.) It has this really solid dance sound to it, David Byrne's voice is a lot more tolerable to my ears. I also really enjoy the unorthodox approach to the album; the last 3 or so songs really represent the unorthodox side pretty well! They definitely refined their sound by this album.
I liked some of the jammy songs but damn that David Byrne what a bozo. He ruined most of the songs with dumb voice. And what about those stupid suits with shoulder pads… give me a break.
Once in a lifetime is a top song, enjoyed a few of the others
Talking Heads' best album. Weird and funky
Same as it ever was - great
An easy rating because I've enjoyed this album for years. In my opinion it is the very best album they ever released. I personally have known many bands over the years who were directly influenced to become professional musicians from this album. I think the Talking Heads did Fela Kuti proud with this effort. These days the first 5 tracks are basically standards. Having said all that I have a confession. The confession is this, I find the live versions of these songs (particularly the STOP MAKING SENSE tour versions) to be immensely more enjoyable than the album versions. "Once in a Lifetime" benefits most from the live adaptation, as the live version forces David Byrnes vocals to line up rhythmically in a much more pleasant way. So, if you have never heard these songs before, consider giving some of the live versions a listen before rendering your judgement. Oh, and this the album that made clear how much of the genius in Talking Heads is not David Byrne, but in the bass guitar Weymouth and drums and percussion of Frantz.
Same as it ever was. Brian Eno might be the goat. Crazy sounds and rhythms and soundscapes, but it all works together so well.
Good album, can see how this had such a large impact on music. won’t revisit as a whole
Seen this album on many lists and knew some tracks before listening to the entire lp in one sitting. This record sounds very fresh and modern. It incorporates many influences and genres. I love how they just let their creativity flow and didnt box themselves in into one sound. Fairly easy to listend to and it has once in a lifetime as a banger track on it. I also enjoy ...crosseyed and painless and the great curve. But imo the record falls off quite a bit after a strong first half. Cant go higher than 3stars.
Horrible stuff. 1.5/5
Decent listen
i found this one really hard to get through, obviously once in a lifetime is the stand out track but the rest didn’t really do much for me
Listened to this for first time while walking around nyc with a slight buzz. Great stuff
I thought I would like it more than I did. Maybe I just need to listen to it again..
This a just a great album!
A bit weirder than I remember
I want to rate it a five but it’s a four. the first four songs are masterpieces, the next two songs are OK, the last two are meh.
This absolutely made my day, it put a huge smile on my face! I spent the rest of the day listening to The Talking Heads, I LOVE THEM. I'm so grateful I got to see them live, they completely blew me away.
Nothing special
Besides incidental listenings of their big hits, "Stop Making Sense" is the only Talking Heads work I've ever engaged with. I've seen it three times and loved it. My first thought when looking at this album was 'hmm, there's only one song from SMS on there'. I'm probably overdue to listen to more. I'm sorry to say that besides "Once In A Lifetime" and "Cross-Eyed and Painless", I didn't love this album that much. I liked it, but most of the songs were a little weird and experimental. I liked the funky bass lines throughout, and especially on "Born Under Punches:. Not bad, but not amazing. 6/10
Fajny, trochę w stylu King crimson. Dobry bas, ciekawy wokal
Co jest nie tak z basistą w pierwszym kawałku? Ogólnie przypomina King Crimson, tylko bardziej stała jakość - średni poziom jest wyżej, ale nic nie przebija tych lepszych utworów KC. A no i Levina trochę brakuje. Momentami czuć że stare, a nawet tak stare nie jest. Nie jest złe, ale dupy nie urywa
I like the songs that we know the Talking heads for. Some of the other songs are good too and would probably be something I listen to again so realistically its a 4.
I thought I was going to like this album a lot more than I actually did. I only liked two of the songs and one of them was their MAIN song. The rest of them sounded exactly the same.
finds cool! bi no fan vo prog rock, funk und allem verwandte, und new wave isch au immer nice
This album has a very distinct sound. It's the detached lack of emotion found in new wave mixed with interesting funky rhythms. It makes for a very entertaining and unique cocktail of musical influences. Byrne's vocals are very well suited to the type of music that's being made here.
what the hell was this? but better
Not my favorite thing ever. It was overall very fine. The album cover is iconic, so Inwas excited for it. I wasn't really disappointed, but it also didn't blow me away. Just fine.
Very good
Interesting album, each track its own vibe which I apricated. Overall preferred side one, but side two was good too.
4 stars. So damn groovy.
Was in high school when this was released, great part of me music scene
classic 80s record 4/5
If I could give more stars to this one, I would.
Sigh. I admit that this album is obligatory. I admit that Once in a Lifetime is a good song and a smash hit. I admit that the album is creative, unique, and influential. Now, can the rest of you please admit that this era of new wave/post-punk "rock" (just threw up in my mouth a little calling this rock) was akin to an actor audibly farting during a performance of Romeo & Juliet. It's interesting, kinda funny, but generally contributes nothing positive and probably actually hurts the overall performance. Influence, sure. Quality, yeah, that's its best argument. Hits, you got one. While it's the only new wave album that I think I respect, that doesn't mean I like. it. 2? 1.5?
Once again, now that I’ve heard a few Talking Heads albums, I still have not heard a song of theirs that I didn’t like. Good shit.
I love this album so much! Houses in Motion is it… everything I love about Talking Heads. And Once in a Lifetime will just never get old. I don’t know how I felt about the closer, I think I need to listen to it again.
Yeeeessssssssssss soooooo goooooood Can't believe I've never listened to this straight through before!
Got it already
Great album. Funky. Groovy. Very Talking Heads.
For me, this is the key Head’s album, with Fear of Music right behind.
only one good cut. They have done better
This is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife – æ høre ikke på Talking Heads til vanlig, men æ blir aldri sur om æ må høre på Talking Heads, så det funke i massevis.
TALKING HEADS
The heat goes on. Talking Heads and Brian Eno had scored a decently big hit with Fear of Music, and they decided to try something new. I Zimbra had given them a taste of African-inspired looping legato guitar and bass licks, so why not an album of it? Well, roughly two thirds of the album. The last three tracks go for a sombre moodiness similar to their previous album, but it still works. The musicianship is spectacular, the lyrics are somehow profound despite being based on chopped-up fragments, and Brian Eno and Adrian Belew do their things without overshadowing the band. (Though, it seems Tina and Chris disagreed, given that Eno was gone by the time they got round to starting the next one) It didn't do spectacularly in the charts at the time, but come on... when your most popular song from the album is covered by Kermit the Frog, you know you have something special. Tangent: No thanks. I'm a government man. Favourite Song: The Great Curve Least Favourite: Seen and Not Seen Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0
If existentialism was an album. A record to heavily admire with it's incredible grooves and polyrhythms, but outside of Once in a Lifetime, not one I truly love.
Once in a lifetime is so fucking good. Unfortunately, there are a couple numbers that just kind of go on. Talking heads isn’t my cup of tea per se but I certainly appreciate this one
Like the 2002 Red Wings adding Dominik Hasek the Talking Heads adding the African drums turns this from Stanley Cup winners to one of the finest albums we have. Add Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime to the Inner Circle Pantheon of Popular Songs
A tale of two halves, starts really strong, and then is all downhill after Once in a Lifetime. I enjoyed some of the spacier, experimental elements; this list is slowly converting me from hater to a light fan of the Talking Heads
Solid album. Once In A Lifetime is an all time banger. 4.5⭐️
Pretty approachable Talking Heads album, IMO.
This album wasn't my favorite. It had some good catchy moments, but there is something about their vocals that I just can not get into. They are too.... "dark" for me? Maybe? I am not sure what it is. The songs also seem to go on a little too long for me. Overall it wasn't bad. Probably a solid 2.5. Liked Songs: "Crosseyed and Painless" , "The Great Curve" , "Once in a Lifetime" , "Houses in Motion" , "Double Groove"
This is probably their best album, and Once in a Lifetime is definitely their best song. Very weird. 3.5
An excellent album. It's very cool to hear what Brian Eno and David Byrne came up with working together. It's all very fresh and innovative, very forward-thinking while remaining catchy. It's also funky, upbeat and overall pretty interesting. The instrumentals are the highlight of the album, as they are very rich mixes of different sounds and styles, effects and ideas. Byrne's singing works for the most part, it's a bit stale at some points but not a big deal. The absolute standout track for me was "The Great Curve", the drums and horns are super interesting, and the chorus is super catchy.
Good vocals nice vibe very produced tho
A friend and I spoke once about Talking Heads and what a weirdo David Byrne was. Yes, they have some good songs. Yes, they’re talented. Yes, they were definitely punk in a way that Ramones and Dead Boys and the Heartbreakers weren’t because they were just that challenging to listen to. But if you’re a real Talking Heads fan, you’re probably a creep. If the Ramones were the scummy street rats of the 70s ¨Taxi Driver¨ New York, Talking Heads were the guys masturbating in a porn theater in Times Square. There’s an unwholesome weirdness that permeates the music of Remain in Light. It starts from the unnerving cover art and continues through the first song, ¨Born Under Punches.¨ Wailing ¨Take a look at these hands,¨ David Byrne sounds like a cross between a wailing spirit coming out of an Irish bog at night and a Southern preacher you just know is having an affair with a 14 year old girl (and will later go on to marry). There’s a funky baseline and beeps and boops from a telephone calling you from hell. The bass and drums on this album are incredible, setting up a concrete jungle beat for David Byrne to just get weird over. There are the occasional painful guitar solos, horns, keys, organs and an assortment of ¨everything but the kitchen sink¨ happening just when you don’t expect it to. ¨Once in a Lifetime¨ is the song I’ve heard before and it sounds like the ramblings of a suburban serial killer. ¨Remain in Light¨ reinforced my view of David Byrne, Talking Heads and Brian Eno. It’s weird, occasionally disturbing and so creative and surprising that I had a hard time hating it. That people can actually create such profoundly weird music is a testament to the human spirit or something. I’m impressed! Best songs: ¨Born Under Punches,¨ ¨The Great Curve,¨ ¨Once In a Lifetime¨
Koko ajan tuputtaa Talking Headsia, kolme levyä pariin viikkoon. Laatu ehkä parempi pystyi jopa kuuntelemaan levyn loppuun. Silti 1,25/5.
Argh… I really want to give this a five, but I don’t know if I can justify putting it above Sound of Silver. Still really good. High 4. Favorite Track: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)